Peer review and its contribution to the professional growth and learning of pre-service teachers of religious education

In recent times peer review strategies have been incorporated into the learning and teaching plans of many tertiary education courses across a variety of disciplines. Recent studies have found that the inclusion of peer review strategies has increased student motivation (Topping, 1998), promoted collaborative learning and improved academic skills (Malone & Riggsbee, 2007), fostered constructive feedback from peers (Bernstein, 2008) and improved learning outcomes for students (Van Weert & Pilot, 2003). This paper reports on some of the key findings about the inclusion of peer review strategies in a religious education subject undertaken by pre-service teachers enrolled in a postgraduate diploma in secondary education at Australian Catholic University (Melbourne campus), Australia. The study involved sixty pre-service teacher participants who were undertaking a curriculum and teaching religious education class. Each participant was involved in the peer review process and then invited to share their perceptions by participating in a focus group as well as completing a questionnaire. This study was located within a constructivist paradigm and drew upon Glaser and Strauss’ (1967) original principles of grounded theory to identify the key findings. The study found that there was a significant alignment between the benefits of peer review strategies in other discipline areas, and religious education. Furthermore, the study found that the peer review process contributed to the pre-service teachers’ ability to critically self-reflect on their learning and their professional growth as religious educators.